Written by Gabriel Tsui, Ashleigh McGregor, Sean McKean, & Izzy Reed
For the first time since Pocono in mid-July, all four NASCAR touring series – Cup, Xfinity, Trucks and ARCA – will take to the World’s Fastest Half-Mile in Bristol Tennessee.
Bristol was built in 1961 and has not left the NASCAR calendar since it opened. It was an asphalt oval up until 1993, when SMI paved it to concrete. Since then, the night race weekend has seen little changes.
Though rain has fallen consistently in Bristol, Tennessee this past week, conditions are expected to improve heading into the weekend, while temperatures during race time will drop below 20 degrees Celsius (68 degrees Fahrenheit), so tyre temperatures will come into play during the weekend.
The track is 0.533 miles (0.858 kilometres) long. It has four turns with progressive banking of 24-28 degrees. Below are the start times for each race plus lap count:
ARCA: Thursday, 19 September, 17:00 local (22:00 UK) - 200 laps
Trucks: Thursday, 19 September, 20:00 local (01:00 UK) - 200 laps
Xfinity: Friday, 20 September, 19:30 local (00:30 UK) - 300 laps
Cup: Saturday, 21 September, 19:30 local (00:30 UK) - 500 laps
NASCAR Cup Series: Bristol Night Race Preview
Written by Gabriel Tsui
After an exciting last lap shootout between Chris Buescher and Shane van Gisbergen that saw Buescher come out on top, we head to Bristol for the final race of the round of 16. With multiple expected contenders falling near the drop zone, will those who are above the cutline be able to pull the upset, or will these contenders show why they are contenders, and live to fight another day?
The race will begin on Saturday, September 21 at 19:30 local (00:30 UK). They will run for 500 laps, 250 miles.
Race Predictions
In the earlier Bristol race during spring, as the race made a return from the dirt track experiment, Denny Hamlin was able to take the race win. However, due to Toyota accidentally rebuilding the race-winning engine without being properly inspected by NASCAR, that led to Hamlin being penalised and stripped of all points earned during that race.
Currently, Hamlin sits six points below the cutline, behind Chase Briscoe and Ty Gibbs, who both had up and downs at Bristol. Hamlin has won four times at this track, so he will be a true favourite to win this race. Though making it back into the playoffs by points is possible, Hamlin would love to take the win and secure his position in the playoff standings with further playoff points to his account.
Therefore, the prediction is that Denny Hamlin, #11 of Joe Gibbs Racing, will return to victory lane and secure his spot to the Round of 12.
Three storylines to look out for
Hendricks are not safe yet
Currently, Kyle Larson and William Byron are 26 and 25 points above the cutline. However, they are still in certain danger. Mathematically, it is still possible to lose both drivers if they are unable to score significant points to secure their position. Last time Team Hendrick was able to secure a win here in Bristol was before the regulation change in 2021.
While for Team Hendrick to lose their two star drivers in the first round would be devastating, it would take a lot of unfortunate circumstances for that to happen, but they must stay vigilant, as anything could happen in NASCAR.
2. Let’s go, Brad!
Brad Keselowski has had an impressive bounce back season, snapping a 110-race-long winless streak. However, he has hit a cold patch ever since Darlington, stringing three consecutive finishes below the top-ten.
Currently Keselowski is 12 points below the cutline, and he will need an exceptional result to get him back into the playoff race. Keselowski has three wins in Bristol, and those experiences will help him out here, but it’s time to step up and clutch up if he wants to keep progressing.
3. Tough choices for Joe Gibbs Racing
JGR is having one of the tougher postseasons in recent memory, with three of their drivers hanging around the cut line, it might be time to make a decision and choose who to send through to the next round.
Currently Gibbs is hanging in 12th place, Hamlin in 13th place, and Martin Truex Jr. in 15th place. If they chose to work on all three cars, they might risk losing all three in the first round with a Harrison Burton or a Keselowski win.
NASCAR Xfinity Series: Food City 300 Preview
Written by Ashleigh McGregor
Connor Zilisch clinched the win for his spectacular debut in NASCAR Xfinity Series at the Watkins Glen race in New York. The series now moves to Tennessee for the next race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Nicknamed the “Last Great Colosseum,” this upcoming race will be one to watch.
Track Insights and Storylines
The race begins at 19:30 local (00:30 UK) on Friday, 20 September, with qualifying happening earlier in the day at 14:40 (19:40 UK).
The drivers will cover 159.9 miles racing 300 laps on this short concrete track – consisting of 85 laps in both stages one and two and ending with 130 laps in the final stage.
There are 39 driver entries expected. Notable drivers to keep an eye out for are Justin Allgaier, currently leading the standings, and Cole Custer, second place in the driver standings. Dale Earnhardt Jr. is another, as he has alluded that this could be his last start in the Xfinity Series. Last year's race in Bristol, Earnhardt Jr. lost the possible win due to a fire in his car that forced him to leave the race.
Round 26
Marking the last race of the regular season, drivers will be battling hard to secure their spots in the playoffs. This should lead to a great atmosphere for fans, as drivers will be taking up the high risk challenge, and crashes are a high probability.
Bristol will be a notable race for not just the fans but the drivers. Parker Kligerman and Sammy Smith will be looking for a good race to solidify their position in the playoffs. For Ryan Sieg and Brandon Jones, this race is critical if they want to move up and get a spot in the playoffs.
Leading the driver series before the Bristol race are:
Justin Allgaier (901 Points)
Cole Custer (858 Points) -43
Chandler Smith (839 Points) -62
Austin Hill (802 Points) -99
AJ Allmendinger (778 Points) -123
Turning to the manufacturer standings, Chevrolet is still holding onto the number one position followed by Toyota and then Ford. After the Watkins Glen race Toyota is down by 41 points and Ford is down by 137 points. With 14 wins this season so far, Chevrolet looks to be holding onto the title for another year.
Will this really be Dale Earnhardt Jr’s. last race in the Xfinity Series and will he have redemption for last year? Can drivers hold onto their spot in the playoffs or will someone else come to take their position? This race is not one you will want to miss, as it promises edge-of-your-seat action.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series: UNOH 200 Preview
Written by Sean McKean
The Truck Series is coming off a three-week break after the Milwaukee Mile race, where Layne Riggs beat the playoff drivers to take his first victory. Now, they also head to Bristol on Friday night to undergo the second race of the Round of 10.
In Milwaukee, strong showings by Christian Eckes, Nick Sanchez and Ty Majeski gave them a great buffer from the cut line. Two-time champion Ben Rhodes and Las Vegas winner Rajah Caruth will seek to dig themselves out of the hole in Bristol.
For the favourites, Christian Eckes remains the one to beat, as back in the spring, he beat Cup champion Kyle Busch to the line here in Bristol. Furthermore, Eckes is on a run of 15 top-ten finishes in a row – currently at a total of 16 for 17 races.
Two Truck storylines:
1.Caruth and Rhodes sit below the cut
After a tough race for the sophomore sensation, Rajah Caruth sits four points behind the cut. He started from the back of the field, and after a speeding penalty and handling issues clawed to 18th. In Bristol, Caruth will have to pick up stage points and have a clean day.
What’s more surprising is who’s two points behind the line: Ben Rhodes. The defending Trucks champion had an anonymous day in Milwaukee, wherein he finished ninth. Having scored no stage points throughout that race, it will be pivotal he picks up stage points in Bristol.
2. Can Heim stay with Eckes?
Throughout the season, the two favourites have undoubtedly been Christian Eckes and Corey Heim.
As mentioned earlier, Eckes is in great form, but Heim has stayed with him. Before IRP, Heim led the standings with only one finish outside the top ten. However, a bad string of races in IRP and Richmond saw the Toyota Racing Development phenom drop to third in the standings behind Majeski and Eckes. If Heim wants to bring a strong challenge to the 2025 Kaulig Xfinity driver, he will need to bring his short-track mojo back.
ARCA Menard's/ARCA East Series: Bush's Beans 200 Preview
Written by Izzy Reed
After going head-to-head with 18-year-old driver Connor Zilisch at the Milwaukee Mile, William Sawalich took his fourth victory in five races. The two drivers will battle it again as the ARCA Menards Series takes to Bristol for the 18th round of the season.
However, headlines are on the ARCA East Series, as they take on their season’s finale alongside the main division. With both being neck-and-neck in the standings, this is the first time we have seen Sawalich take the win from Zilisch. Will he be able to do it again and take the champion title from him, or will Zilisch not give him the chase?
The Track and Background
This race, known as the Bush’s Beans 200, is a significant event in the ARCA Menards Racing Series, requiring 200 laps – or 106.6 miles – to finish off this season.
Last year, Sawalich won this race to finish off his championship-winning East season at only 16 years old. Subsequently, it's predicted that he will take the season finale again, but he's going to have to stop Zilisch from taking it.
As for the main ARCA series, points leader Andres Perez will take to the track this year against last year's champion and some strong forces, including Lavar Scott, Kris Wright, and other big ARCA names. This will undoubtedly make it one of the most high-stakes races of this ARCA season, as the next round in Kansas is notorious for tearing up race cars.
Eight-for-eight
Zilisch currently leads the East standings, but we have seen Sawalich take the win already back in 2023. Sawalich will have to finish quite a few places ahead of Zilisch if he wants to take the title again in 2024. This is the most high-stakes moment in these young drivers' careers, which will certainly make it an interesting race for fans this week.
A driver to watch out for is Andres Perez, who leads the overall ARCA series, taking ten top-five finishes this season alone. The driver competes full-time in the ARCA series, along with previous stints in NACAM F4 and NASCAR Mexico. He will be quite a topic of interest in this season finale at the Bristol Speedway.
Will injury affect Breidinger?
Due to burns on Toni Breidinger's foot from the previous race of the season, the driver had to pull out of the Watkins Glen from the extent of her injuries. She pushed herself at the start of the race but was not able to finish it. However, the topsy-turvy nature of ARCA could still mean she’s in contention for a good result on Thursday night. Will this injury stop her once again from taking the finish line?
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